1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to inspecting objects and, in particular, to performing nondestructive inspection of objects. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for nondestructive inspection in locations that are difficult to access.
2. Background
In manufacturing aircraft, vehicles, and other structures, inspection of parts used to form these structures is often performed to determine whether the parts will have desired parameters for a desired performance of the part. Nondestructive testing is commonly performed on these parts. Nondestructive testing is used to evaluate properties of a part without altering the ability of the part to be employed in service. Nondestructive testing may include ultrasound testing, eddy current testing, x-ray testing, visual inspections, and other types of testing.
This type of testing may also be performed after the object has been manufactured. Inspections may be performed while an object is in use to determine whether the object still performs as desired. The inspection may be performed during maintenance or other times to determine whether inconsistencies may be present that may require maintenance, rework, replacement, or some combination thereof.
When inspecting an object, such as an aircraft, a visual inspection may be first made to see if any inconsistencies may be present. An operator may view different areas of the aircraft to determine whether an inconsistency is present that may require an additional inspection.
If an inconsistency is identified in an area of the aircraft through the visual inspection, the nondestructive inspection may be performed to generate information that may be analyzed. For example, the inspection may be performed using an eddy current sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or some other suitable type of device. The information generated from this inspection may be used to determine the extent of the inconsistency, the depth of the inconsistency, and other information about the inconsistency. With this information, a determination may be made as to what actions may be taken such as increased inspections of the area, rework of the area, replacement of the part, or other suitable actions.
Performing visual inspections and additional nondestructive inspections may be more difficult than desired. Some areas of the aircraft may be difficult to reach. For example, an interior of a wing, a fuel tank, and other areas in the aircraft may be difficult to reach because of the amount of access for using existing types of nondestructive inspection devices.
In some cases, disassembly of a portion of the aircraft may be performed to reach areas for inspection. The disassembly and reassembly of a portion of the aircraft may take more time and effort than desired. As a result, maintenance for an aircraft may be more expensive than desired. Additionally, the aircraft also may be out of service for longer periods than desired to perform needed inspections.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.